Question III: Whether Scripture can be sufficiently understood for salvation without prior grace-light; duplex lumen
Question III. Can Sacred Scripture be sufficiently understood for salvation without prior grace-light? Or thus: Is the Holy Spirit's grace-light prior in the order of causes by nature to the salutary understanding of Scripture?
Answer I. Under the demonstration of the truer opinion I lay, as principle and foundation, the distinction of a twofold light, namely of object and of subject, or instrumental and principal.
Scripture's light as object and instrument is nothing other than its sense, which the native signification of the words suggests to us. For the object to be known is not destitute of its inward light. Just as every object radiates with its own light, or is tinted with color by which it presents itself to the eyes through a species, so also Scripture — as may be gathered from Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29; 2 Peter 1:19.
(2) Sacred Scripture further shows us another light — namely the subject's and principal light — elevating, applying, disposing, and effecting, both in the human mind and in Scripture, so that its inward light may be known. In natural things this is called the light of reason; in divine things, the spirit of revelation (Ephesians 1:17), the light of preventing grace, which Christ himself is with his grace illuminating every person, and is called the light of the nations (John 1:9; Luke 2:32); on which see 4 Ezra 14:15 and Psalm 36:10 and Psalm 43:3. See Theodoret and Flacius's Key to Scripture. Compare also Psalm 18:29 and Psalm 119:18, Psalm 119:33, Psalm 119:124, Psalm 119:135.
Since therefore it is plain from the Scriptures that a twofold light is required for their salutary understanding — namely the instrumental as medium, and the principal, which not only illuminates the Scriptures but also illumines the intellect so that it can apprehend that medium, Scripture's light — therefore let spiritual people, who judge all things (1 Corinthians 2:15), at last judge whether this principal light, as principal efficient cause, does not operate first — not indeed in time, but in the order of nature — so that Scripture's inward light may salutarily exert itself and be poured into the reader's heart unto salvation.
Latin
QUESTIO III. An sacra Scriptura, sine previo lumine gratiae, sufficienter ad salutem intelligi possit? vel sic: An lumen gratiae Spiritus sancti in ordine causarum natura prius sit salutari intelligentia Scripturae? Resp. I. Demonstrationi verioris sententiae substerno, tanquam principium ac fundamentum, distinctionem duplicis luminis, nempe objecti & subjecti, seu instrumentalis & principalis. Lumen Scripturae ceu objecti & instrumentale nihil aliud est, quam sensus illius, quem nativa significatio verborum nobis suggerit. Nam objectum cognoscendum suo interno lumine non destituitur. Sicut enim unumquodque objectum sua luce radiat, aut colore tinctum est, quo se oculis per speciem objicit: ita & Scriptura, ut colligere est ex Esa. 8.v.20. Luc. 16.v.29. 2. Pet. 1.v.19. 2. Sacra Scriptura aliud insuper lumen nobis ostendit, nempe subjecti & principale, mentem elevans, applicans, disponens & efficiens, tum in mente humana, tum in Scriptura, ut lumen ejus internum cognoscatur. Hoc in rebus naturalibus vocatur lumen rationis: in divinis, spiritus revelationis, Eph. 1.v.17. lumen gratiae praevenientis, quod Christus ipse est cum gratia sua illuminans omnem hominem, & lumen gentium appellatur, Joh. 1.v.9. & Luc. 2.v.32. de quo 4. Esdrae 14.v.15. & psal. 36.v.10. & 43.v.3. Vide Theodoreum & Flacii clavem Scripturae. Confer etiam psal. 18.v.29. & psal. 119.v.18.33.124.135. Quoniam igitur e Scripturis planum sit, ad salutarem intelligentiam earum duplex lumen requiri, nempe instrumentale tanquam medium, & principale, quod non tantum Scripturas illustret, sed & intellectum illuminet, ut medium illud Scripturae lumen apprehendere possit: idcirco homines spirituales, qui omnia judicant, 1. Cor. 2.v.15. tandem judicent, an non hoc lumen principale, tanquam causa efficiens principalis, non quidem tempore, sed ordine naturae primo operetur, ut interius Scripturae lumen sese salutariter exserat & in cor legentis ingeratur ad salutem.